


Demons and Ribbons

by beautifultoastdream



Category: Howl Series - Diana Wynne Jones, 魔法使いの嫁 | Mahou Tsukai no Yome | The Ancient Magus Bride
Genre: But He's Learning, Character Study, Complete, Crossover, Domestic, Elias is bad at emotions, Gen, Howl is a Sleigh Beggy, Possibly AU, Pre-Relationship, Redheads mean trouble, Robinthorn (sort of), Silkie puts up with everyone's nonsense, hopeful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-04-24
Packaged: 2019-04-27 04:18:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14417523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautifultoastdream/pseuds/beautifultoastdream
Summary: A visit by a very unusual wizard adds one more piece to the Sleigh Beggy puzzle, and Chise finds herself battling hope and fear as she learns more about one other who went before her. Is there another way to keep a Sleigh Beggy alive ... and is it too much for even Elias Ainsworth to consider? A crossover about demons, hearts, hair ribbons, and looking forward.





	Demons and Ribbons

“Oh, no,” says the beautiful young man, stopping dead in the middle of the hall carpet and staring at her. “She's a _redhead.”_

Chise freezes, surprised. The young man has appeared seemingly out of nowhere—right in the middle of the doorframe—and strutted right into the house as if he owns the place, but the sight of _her_ unnerves _him?_

He isn't someone she's ever met before, though something about him seems vaguely familiar. He is beautiful, though: too beautiful, with pearly-smooth skin and long fair hair that falls in an artfully artless way over his shoulders, and one gleaming earring with a dangling gem on it. He wears an outlandish suit of purple-and-silver silk with long, trailing sleeves, and even Chise's amateur eye can spot the magic worked into its stitches.

This has to be a Neighbor she's never met before, and after the terror and destruction wrought by Ashen Eyes, she's not eager to meet another one so soon. She takes a step back.

With a whirl of darkness, Ruth emerges from her shadow and plants himself between her and the Neighbor, raising his hackles in a warning growl. The Neighbor, though, seems unaffected by Ruth's sudden appearance.

“A church grim! Now there's a good old piece of magic. A lovely specimen—though I think he could use a bath,” the Neighbor adds, wrinkling his nose a little. “Never mind that, though. Young lady, is Old Bones home? He's clearly in terrible trouble, and I came as fast as I heard the news. Which, alas, is nowhere near as fast as I'd like. Traveling between worlds is always a headache, even for yours truly.”

“I—I don't—” Chise stammers. Her English is good, but this chattering new Neighbor is making it very hard to keep her composure. “I—ah—do you mean Elias?”

“Yes, I do indeed mean Elias. I must admit, I was rather surprised when I heard what kind of mess he'd gotten himself into. But now that I've seen you, young lady, it all makes sense.” The Neighbor flashes her a brilliant smile.

“I don't understand,” Chise begins a little helplessly.

A rumble from behind her makes the Neighbor jump a little, but Chise's rising fear immediately begins to ebb. The door to the sitting room has opened, and Elias is there, the red cloth draped over his face. It's unusual for him to wear the cloth when they're at home: he must not trust this Neighbor. Still, she's seen what Elias is capable of, and with him behind her she musters a small smile for the visitor. If Elias is there, she's safe.

“Pendragon,” Elias says in his slow deep voice. “You weren't expected.”

“I was not, but when I heard what had happened to you and your apprentice, I dropped everything to drop by. And I'm glad I did, as I've seen the trouble at once. Now, where is the dear Silver Lady? Aha!”

Silkie has come hurrying after Elias, her face as near to frowning as she ever gets. Clearly, she's not happy about all this commotion, not to mention everyone scuffing up her hall carpet. But when “Pendragon” sees her, he swoops in and plants a gallant kiss on her hand—and Chise and Ruth share a moment of pure shock as Silkie _blushes._

“Madam Silver Lady, you are as lovely and unruffled as ever. I must apologize for the dreadfully wicked wizard currently infesting your front hall. Would you be so kind as to arrange tea for two in the parlor? I fear that Elias is in desperate need of some manly advice.”

Silkie bobs a curtsy and turns away, a tiny smile on her pale lips. Elias shoots a glance after her but, as with Simon's visits, seems set to endure this strange individual until the social niceties can be disposed of. Pendragon brushes past Chise, giving her a wink that makes her own cheeks inexplicably warm, and all but pushes Elias back into the parlor. The door closes behind them.

 _Well,_ Ruth says. _This should be interesting_ _._

 

* * *

 

Chise really shouldn't be eavesdropping. And technically, she isn't. She's hard at work in her own room, studying the potion recipe that Elias gave her yesterday. But it just so happens that her familiar is lying in the flower beds outside the parlor window, ears cocked, and if she happens to overhear something through their link, who can blame her?

She feels a prickle of guilt over it, though. Elias has been so good to her, and both of them are trying so hard to learn from their mistakes; she doesn't think he would betray her trust again, now that he's beginning to understand what a terrible thing he almost did to Stella. Surely whoever this visitor is, it's harmless. But Chise can't help her curiosity, and so she pretends to study, really listening to the conversation she's now hearing through Ruth's ears.

“ … sorry it took so long,” Pendragon is saying as Ruth creeps into position underneath the window. “Truly didn't mean to keep you waiting, old man. I know firsthand how tricky this business can be.”

“Neither of us is easy to find,” Elias says. There's a soft clink of china on a tray: Silkie has entered with the tea, her footsteps utterly silent. “Thank you, Silver.”

“Perfect as always, Silver Lady! My wife could learn a thing or two from you.”

In her room, Chise's eyebrows rise. This strange visitor is married?

The door closes again: Silkie leaving. For a moment, there's little sound as the two men drink their tea in silence. Then Pendragon sets down the cup again.

“How is she?”

A soft rumble from Elias. “Better than before,” he says. “She is talented. And brave.”

“Redheads often are.” The visitor's voice is a little quieter now—less of the flamboyant flourish he had when talking to Silkie or about Ruth. “I have to say, I knew you were doomed the second I saw that hair of hers. Redheads have a way of turning one's life upside-down in the most pleasantly frustrating ways possible. But she's well? No more power drain?”

Chise's heart beats faster. They're talking about her?

“The artifacts are stabilizing it. And the combination of the two curses has provided a mitigating effect, though my research remains inconclusive.” A pause. “It may not be enough.”

A soft breath from Pendragon. “I assume the fairies have made you their offer.”

“Personally. Queen Titania has taken a liking to her.”

That makes the visitor whistle. “Really? I never got much change out of her—though I didn't have the common sense to fall on my face when she passed by, neither. I was never good at being polite back then, and there's nothing the fae hate like a Sleigh Beggy who doesn't know his place.”

Chise can't even pretend to be studying now. She rests her forehead against the cool wood of her desk, taking deep breaths.

Pendragon is a Sleigh Beggy? A _grown_ one? No, more than that—a practicing one, with the shimmer of enchantment all over him and the easy charm of an experienced mage with power at his fingertips. And a wife, too?

A grown Sleigh Beggy. One who lives somewhere remote and is hard to find, who's had some communication with Elias in the past. A grown Sleigh Beggy who's become a practicing mage. Yet Elias has seemed so uncertain about Chise's future, and even with the dragon's cure and Cartaphilus warring it out, she knows her days are numbered …

Fear, disappointment, and a terrible kind of hope war in her chest. She struggles to take a breath, fingers digging into the wood.

 _Be calm,_ Ruth whispers to her. _If this is going to upset you, I'll leave. Your health is more important than Elias's secrets, Chise._

 _No,_ she thinks back at him. She forces herself to take another breath, and another, trying to calm her racing heart. Elias doesn't lie to her; if he's been keeping a possible cure secret, it must be out of grave necessity. Something worse than being forced to live in the fairy realm forever.

_Keep listening, Ruth. Please._

They've lost some of the conversation. As Ruth pricks his ears up again, Elias is speaking.

“ … don't happen on this side. I've watched the skies many nights, but I've never found one.”

“I suspect you wouldn't,” the beautiful young man is saying. He sounds truly sympathetic: not just trying to console someone, but honestly speaking from experience. It's a far cry from the charming intruder in the hall. “And with all due respect, old man, I'm not going to risk Calcifer's life trying to bring him through so you can test him. My circumstances were, er, unique. And I've lost a lot, even now that I've gotten my heart back. If I'd stayed on this side, I'd probably be in worse shape than your girl.”

 _Gotten his heart back?_ Ruth repeats to Chise in alarm. _Chise, if this man wants to try any experiments on you—!_

 _I won't l_ _et him_ _,_ Chise promises. Having Cartaphilus scoop out her eye was enough for one lifetime.

“I do not think so,” Elias responds. “You had a family. She was not so lucky.”

“Ah. That does … complicate things.”

A moment of silence stretches between the two man. A clink of china on bone: Elias is drinking more tea. Then a rustle of silk.

“Nevertheless, there may be something we can do,” Pendragon continues with a kind of false cheer. “My studies have been extensive, if unorthodox, and my dear Sophie will doubtless nag me witless if I fail to do everything in my power for your young lady. Speaking of which, I had heard a most interesting rumor connected with the pair of you.”

“There are many rumors.”

“Really, old man. A _bride_? That's not how one normally gets brides, you know. In my experience, if a redhead is destined to come in and upend your life, she's going to do it whether you're trying to find her or not.”

A rumble of amusement from Elias. “But she did.”

 _I did not,_ Chise thinks. Ruth silently chuckles.

“Did she indeed? And to think, I heard you _bought_ her.”

“I did not intend to at first. A Sleigh Beggy for auction was a curiosity worth investigating.” Elias is silent for a moment. Then: “But I didn't like the idea of leaving her there. She was … compelling.”

A warmth blooms in Chise's heart even as Pendragon laughs. “For five million pounds, you can do a little better than _compelling,_ old man. Vivacious? Vicious? Nagging harridan? Minx?”

The silence lasts a little longer this time. Chise is holding her breath.

“Perhaps not those,” Elias says.

She lets out the breath, mingling disappointment and amusement. But even as the visitor laughs at Elias again, the warmth in her chest refuses to subside. She smiles against the desk, closing her eyes, imagining Elias sitting stiff and awkward in the parlor and carefully—in his studious way—turning over the words _harridan_ and _minx_ in his mind, trying to make them fit her. Her mage couldn't be more different from this strange Sleigh Beggy.

“Oh, Elias,” she says aloud, still smiling fondly. “Shall I come rescue you from him?”

If Elias wants a rescue, though, she doesn't hear. Her mental connection to Ruth fills with an outraged squawk as Silkie, who's crept up on the grim unawares, seizes him by the scruff. Ruth protests, but Chise winces, knowing his fate was sealed the moment Silkie found him lounging in her flower bed.

_No! Not the bath! Not the bath, not the bath, not the—_

 

* * *

 

By the time Ruth has emerged from his harrowing, floral-soap-scented ordeal at Silkie's hands, the visitor is gone.

Chise sees him headed for the door, his strange gem earring winking in the late afternoon sun and reflecting light in strange patterns on the wallpaper. He smiles at her, tips her a wink, steps through the door—and vanishes. There's a tinge of strange magic in the air, making Chise's skin tingle, but it's gentle and gone almost before she can sense it.

When she peeks into the parlor, Elias is seated in his armchair, leafing through a book filled with astronomical diagrams. The cloth no longer covers his face, though, and when he looks up, he meets her eyes.

“Ah. I take it you overheard some of our conversation?”

Chise colors a little, but can't exactly deny it. “Ruth was trying to be quiet,” she says, somewhat abashed.

“He was doing well, until he began yelping and howling,” Elias says. There might be the tiniest hint of amusement in his voice. “It's all right. If it was a truly secret conversation, I would have warded the room against eavesdroppers. How much did you hear?”

Chise moves a little closer. Elias pats the armrest of the chair, and Chise perches there, making herself comfortable on the worn leather. This way, she can almost look Elias in the eye, and she can lean on his shoulder if she ever feels she's losing her balance. It's a comfortable way to spend a little time.

“A lot,” she says. “Some things that surprised me. Was he …?”

She can't quite get the words out, but Elias merely waits patiently.

“Was he really a Sleigh Beggy?”

“He is,” Elias says simply.

“And he … he's lived longer than me?”

“He has. He will live as long as Angelica, I believe.”

Chise's heart sinks a little. While it's wonderful to think that another Sleigh Beggy might have found a way to live to adulthood, there's a prickle of disappointment and jealousy there too, diluting the happiness. Elias isn't good with expressing emotions—not when they're so new to him—but if this Sleigh Beggy did have the key that Chise needs, Elias would say so.

“Is that why he came?” she says instead, biting down on her disappointment. “Because he heard you had another Sleigh Beggy here?”

“Yes.” Elias shifts, and his eyes meet hers. There's a kind of sadness in his tone when he speaks. “His name is Howl Pendragon, and he is the only Sleigh Beggy to attain a full mage's lifespan. I sent a message to him when it became clear how serious your condition was. However, his life has been influenced by things that you would consider distasteful. And I … hmm. I did not … enjoy the thought of having those things happen to you.”

Chise leans against him. His arm rises to curl around her, and she rests her head against his collarbone. For one the fairies call _monster_ and _half-baked,_ Elias is warm to the touch. “I heard him say something,” she begins softly. “He said he'd gotten his heart back.”

“Yes.”

“Did he lose it before?”

“Yes. He made a pact with a demon from another world.”

Chise draws a soft breath. “Like Fairyland?”

“No. There are many worlds, and many doors that only some can open.” Elias's hand comes to rest on the curve of her waist, a solid, comforting warmth. “Howl opened one such door when his time was running out. He found another world, and made a pact there with a dying star. He gave up his heart. The star fused with him, and became a demon.

“In giving up his heart, Howl broke his connection with the Neighbors forever. He became a soulless creature.”

“Like Cartaphilus,” Chise says. Then: “No. Not like Cartaphilus. Like Ashen Eyes wanted Cartaphilus to be.”

“Yes,” Elias replies. “Or something like it. A soulless mage would be a very interesting thing to creatures like Ashen Eyes. It is, I suspect, why Howl prefers to live in his new world, where there are far fewer Neighbors.”

“But Howl did get his heart back? He isn't—soulless any more?”

“He did,” Elias says. “By an extraordinary act of magic by someone who loved him, he now enjoys a mage's lifespan. It should never have worked.”

Chise closes her eyes. Elias has a heartbeat: slow and steady, slower than a human's. “But you can't do that for me.”

“Chise.”

“No, Elias,” she says softly. “You don't need to explain. All magic is different. I trust you to find a different way, one that works for us.”

“Chise,” Elias repeats. His grip on her tightens a little. For a moment, she thinks she feels his heartbeat quicken underneath her. “I am not … certain of myself. Emotion is new to me. But even if I find a name for what we have, Chise—“

His head dips, and the press of smooth bone against her cheek makes her own heart race.

“—Even if I untangle this, Chise, there is one thing I will not do.” His voice is hoarse and deep. The prickle of thorns rising in the darkness.

“I will not give your heart to anyone, let alone a demon, and hope that my emotions can take it back again.”

Chise raises a hand blindly, seeking his face. Her fingers skate over the dips and hollows of the skull before settling against his jaw, beneath his chin. She can feel the edges of the great curving fangs, the molars that could crush a man's head. The soft, almost velvety feel of the skull never ceases to amaze her: there is some strange transparent skin, thinner than an eggshell, that makes this face lovely to the touch.

Elias Ainsworth is like nothing else, in her world or his. He was wrong, when he spoke to Howl earlier: Chise had a family too, for a little while, and she remembers what it was to love and be loved. In that, both she and Howl have an advantage over Elias, who is called _monster_ by monsters and has had to learn about emotions and living from the wrong way around.

She can't help Elias put a name to what they have. Not now, not yet. But she trusts him, and she knows too well how he will do anything to keep her alive. And she knows, now, that he is desperately afraid of what state his failure might leave her in.

Heartless, consumed by a demon. Not so different, perhaps, from what Cartaphilus might have done to her.

She presses closer to him, tears beading in her eyes. His breath is hot against her skin.

“I trust you,” she whispers. The words carry a different weight, now, than they did a moment ago. “I trust you, Elias. You'll find a way. No demons.”

“No,” he says. His grip is almost painfully tight, as if he can hold her to her life by sheer force. “No demons. Ever.”

 

* * *

 

The next morning, a package wrapped in brown paper appears on the doorstep of the Ainsworth household.

Chise is brushing her hair when Silkie comes to her door, carrying the package. It's a little larger than Chise's fist, and her name has been written on it in looping, elegant letters.

“Is it safe?” Chise asks her. She's a little older and wiser now than when she first came to this house, and she's had enough brushes with death to be cautious about unexpected occurrences. But Silkie nods, smiling a little, and leaves as silently as she came.

Curious, Chise unwraps the package. Inside is a softly white linen cloth, artfully wrapped around a little bundle of … ribbons?

Yes, ribbons. All silk: gold, emerald-green, and white, tied up together. Next to them is another bundle, this one containing two more hanks of ribbon in pink and soft dove-gray.

And finally, a note. Chise has to squint to read it. The handwriting is awful, entirely different from the lovely hand that had addressed the package.

 

_Dear Chise,_

_I regret that I couldn't stay to get to know you well, but there are certain magical creatures in your neck of the woods that are entirely too intrusive for their own good. I daresay you've met them. If you ever come to my castle, we might perhaps manage a longer visit._

_The enclosed hair ribbons—the bigger ones with the gold, anyway—are for you. I haven't put any power into them, but my wife has given them a good magical talking-to, and they'll hold any hair you care to put in them for as long as you like. I wanted to give you a new dress, but Sophie tells me Ainsworth has that well in hand, and that my sense of style wouldn't suit you. She is, of course, wrong, but I'll defer to her wishes like the gracious wizard I am._

_The smaller ones are for the Silver Lady, so please do pass them on with my wholly platonic admiration and love. She deserves a gift or two after putting up with Old Bones for so long._

_Do me a favor, Chise, and try to remember something for me._

_It can be done._

_If one miracle can happen for a mad wizard who caught a falling star, another less mad—but also less handsome—wizard can surely find another miracle. It can be done. Be of good cheer, and do drop by if you're ever in Ingary._

_Regards,_

_Howl Pendragon_

_Royal Wizard of Ingary and Sleigh Beggy (reformed)_

 

To her own surprise, Chise laughs. She drops the letter onto her desk, ties up her hair with the emerald-green ribbon, and hurries down to the kitchen..

Breakfast is being served, and Elias is dropping bacon into his opened jaws with as much dignity as he can muster. Ruth is lurking by the stove, waiting impatiently for Silkie to feed him or, preferably, to drop food he can snatch out of the air. Silkie is trying to maneuver around Ruth as she carries plates to the table, silently and obstinately refusing to feed any member of the household—even the dog-shaped one—without him being properly seated at the table. The papers ( _The Times_ , from London, and a couple of local news sheets) are sitting next to the tea pot, and from the disordered look of them, Elias has already stealthily absconded with the daily crosswords.

She slips the pink and dove-colored ribbons into Silkie's apron pocket and gets a small smile from the housekeeper in return. Ruth sulkily turns human and sits down on the other side of the table, his attention still fixed on the plate of eggs Silkie is carrying. Elias nods good morning, and Chise drops a kiss on the top of his skull before sitting down herself.

It can be done. Chise has always believed that, ever since she saw just how much power Elias held, but as Ruth wolfs his eggs and the legendary, often-feared Thorn Mage sips his morning tea while contemplating 43 down in the _Times_ crossword (five letters, beginning with G, “legendary lover goes blank,” and Chise will have to tease him about the obvious answer later), she smiles and lets go of one more little piece of her fears. It can be done, because she knows it has been done. And if Elias can't believe in his own emotions, then she'll help him find them and put names to them, and perhaps they'll find a new miracle or recreate one that's gone before.

And, smiling, she pours herself a cup of tea and looks forward to the new day.

**Author's Note:**

> One of the things I love most about "Ancient Magus' Bride" is the English setting, with its emphasis on fairies and folklore. It reminded me of "Howl's Moving Castle," and once I made that connection, I couldn't stop seeing the possibilities. Howl was, after all, extraordinarily lucky in how his own story worked out; as the book shows, others who hosted fire demons didn't turn out so well. And if Howl was a Sleigh Beggy, it would partially explain why his connection with Calcifer worked out so well, and open some interesting possibilities for both the England of AMB and Ingary. 
> 
> This is my first stab at writing AMB, so please excuse the rough edges! I've only seen the anime thus far. Thanks for reading!


End file.
